More Than Half of Americans Have Little to No Experience in Reading the Bible, Study Says
With America being a predominantly Christian nation, it is no surprise that majority of its population are familiar with the Bible. However, a recent research revealed that more than half of Americans have little to no experience in reading the Bible.
According to a study by LifeWay Research, only one in five Americans have read through the Bible at least once. They include 11 percent who have read the entire Bible once, and 9 percent who have read it through a number of times. Another 12 percent say they have read almost all of the Bible.
Fiftee percent of the respondents say they have read at least half of the Bible while 30 percent only opened the book to read bits and pieces or specific stories. Thirteen percent have read only a few sentences while 10 percent have not read it at all.
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Owning a Bible is no problem as nine out of 10 households have a copy of the book in their homes, with an average household owning three copies at least, said the American Bible Society.
However, reading it is an entirely different story.
Out of the 1,000 people surveyed by LifeWay Research, only one out of five have read the Bible at least once.
Because of the relatively low number of Americans who actually read the Bible, knowledge of what the book contains remains a concern among many churches, noted LifeWay Research Executive Director Scott McConnell.
"Most Americans don't know first-hand the overall story of the Bible – because they rarely pick it up," he said. "Even among worship attendees less than half read the Bible daily. The only time most Americans hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it."
But for those who actually pick up their Bibles and read it, 22 percent follow a reading plan systematically. A higher percentage of 27 percent read verses that were suggested by other people while 17 percent do a "Bible roulette" by opening pages and reading verses randomly.
Since evangelicals believe that the Bible is the written Word of God, it is no surprise that 49 percent of the evangelicals are more likely to read daily as opposed to 16 percent of those with no evangelical background.
Catholics are also less likely to open the Bible and read a passage than their Protestant neighbors.
Even gender differences were evident in Bible reading as more women read the Bible than men.
LifeWay's research also discovered that those who engage in church activities at least once a month have a higher chances of opening the sacred book and reading it.
The respondents cited various reasons why they don't read the Bible.
McConnell noticed a contrast in the way these people regard the book.
"Those who have a habit of reading through the Bible a little each day say they have experienced this helpful, life-changing quality," he said. "Those who approach the book differently tend to say the Bible is positive but much less personal."
